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Vehicles + Vinyl

The Wrap Rap

Larry discusses the pros and cons of vehicle wraps

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What product does this riddle describe? It’s noticeable, consumes vast amounts of vinyl and requires large resources of time, money, equipment and skill to produce and install. It may show up, but it doesn’t necessarily accomplish much. And it always looks better from a distance.

The answer: vehicle wraps. The full-color, full-page ads of vinyl’s digital-printing era, they can attract radio and TV station managers like lawyers to a vote-recount. The giant, self-adhesive, color brochures stretch the imagination of graphic designers.

Vehicle graphics are extremely cost-effective signs. They communicate rapidly and legibly with written or graphic representation. However, a vehicle wrap must present a favorable impression of an advertiser, and convey a benefit to viewers. If an ad fails these objectives, it’s of little value.

Making vinyl eye candy

The first virtue of vehicle wraps is visibility — they are likely to get attention. Vehicle wraps make great "brochures," as long as viewers have sufficient time to review an offering’s benefits.

Their effectiveness as an ad medium can suffer. Vehicle wraps may suffer from too much "background noise." Effective design is achieved through simplicity, clarity, crispness, balance and punch. How many wraps have you noticed that failed to convey a simple, clear message? Does the wrap convey value to viewers or does it just shout, "Notice me!" like a commercial that entertains without leaving a meaningful product message?

Wraps require good handling. The material must fit the vehicle’s contours and retain its good looks long-term. Considering production costs, buyers expect it to retain shape and color for years, unless they can afford to have vinyl frequently reapplied.

Gotta keep ’em together

I’ve noticed wraps less than a year old separating along body contours, shrinking at edges and relief cuts, and attracting dirt on those surfaces. I’m glad I didn’t produce them or guarantee them with my standard five-year warranty against fading, chipping, peeling and shrinkage. Warranty work can be very costly for wraps, and possibly even determine a shop’s success or failure.

Adjustable, heavy-caliper or laminated vinyls can make wraps easier to install, but they may increase the likelihood of premature separation along contours and cut edges. They don’t handle strain as well as high-performance, 2-mil cast vinyl with a permanent adhesive.

Vehicle manufacturers typically experiment first with low-adhesion paints on white vehicles. These types of paints increase the probability of film separation from the paint surface, making extra preparation and proper film selection even more crucial for durability. With rougher surfaces making adhesion more difficult, expect paints to be even less workable in the future.

Easy removal of a wrap depends on your skill, supplies and equipment, plus the type of film you’re using. Most removable films have a specified window for easier maneuverability, usually within two years of application. Beyond this timeframe, it’s more difficult to remove, especially in warmer climates.

Vehicle wraps will likely continue to grow in popularity, with sales of larger equipment, improved production, printing methods and expanding uses for these products. Attention to the message’s effectiveness, film selection, surface preparation and proper application are essential to the success of wraps.

Buyers must track the results of their ads, along with expenditures, and compare them to results of other methods, such as supergraphics. They will examine the profitability of wraps and hold installers accountable for any failures. How vinyl manufacturers and distributors respond may determine the fate of signshops currently involved in vehicle wrapping.

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